Stephanie Winchester
by Scarydory2
Summary: Sister-fic! Rated T for safety. What happens when Sam and Dean find out they have a 16 y.o. half-sister? Will she become a hunter? Or will her troubled past catch up with her? And if it does, how will Dean and Sam react now that they have a women to protect? Was this all Bobby's fault? No slash.
1. Spit it out Bobby!

Chapter 1 – Spit it out Bobby! 

**A/N Hey Guys! This is my first fanfic so please be gentle with me :D Just a few little things:**

**This is at the end of Season 6 and follows a similar storyline to Season 7 except I haven't decided if Bobby will die or not, I just needed him to introduce the character.**

**I will explain about John and Cassandra in the next chapter but I can't guarantee that it will be very factually correct. Oh and don't worry Castiel fans, there is more of him later. **

**I currently have three chapters written but I am unsure as to when they will get posted. If I get enough reviews then I just might post a little quicker!**

**Please R&R! :D **

Bobby Singer sighed and took another swig of his best whiskey. It burned the back of his throat as he swallowed but he didn't care. Sam had called 15 minutes ago to let Bobby know that him and Dean were stopping by within the hour. Bobby couldn't explain the sick feeling in his stomach. Bobby was used to guests staying over (the Winchesters being the most common offenders) but she was the only one that had ever cleaned. Cleaned! In Bobby's kitchen! Bobby shuddered. The boys shouldn't care that he had a visitor right? Well, the might if they knew who it was…

Bobby slammed his head into the wooden desk and started to formulate a plan. If she arrived back first, he'd just send her upstairs until he could explain to Sam and Dean why his kitchen was spotless. Or why there was a woman upstairs.

However, if the boys got home first and he didn't get time to talk before she showed up again…

Bobby was still arguing with himself internally when the front door opened and closed with a not-so-subtle thud.

"Bobby. You there?" Bobby breathed a sigh of relief and lifted his head. Dean. Bobby got to his feet as Dean and Sam turned into the library. _Looks like it's up to you, Steph_. _Don't hurry over though, _Bobby snapped internally.

"Hey boys. It's good to see ya," Bobby hurried over and hugged Sam. Dean frowned.

"Hey Bobby," Sam started hesitantly, "Are you feeling okay?" Bobby released his grip on Sam and took a step back.

"You find anything on Cas?" Bobby ducked away from the question, not knowing if he could answer honestly. Dean didn't move. He knew Bobby too well to know when something was wrong. Dean continued to watch Bobby with the same older brother look he used on Sam.

Bobby noticed. Sam didn't.

"Yeah. Fortunately he was just preaching this time, nobody was hurt. A little shaken up on the other hand." Sam took a seat on the couch making himself a little bit more comfortable.

Dean rolled his eyes._ Yeah_, _Sammy sure has a keen eye for noticing the details. _Dean mocked his Dad's words silently.

"Well I guess that's something." Bobby grunted, finishing off the remainder of his whiskey in one gulp.

Dean couldn't bite his tongue anymore.

"Look-" Dean stopped when he heard the front door open and close, this time with a soft click. Easy to notice to a trained ear.

Dean and Sam instantly drew their handguns and moved to each other's side.

"Bobby, were you expecting any other visitors?" Bobby swore under his breath.

"Boys put the guns down it's-"

All three of them froze. A young girl, no older than sixteen, walked around the corner leisurely. In her arms, she brandished a large shopping bag and Bobby's car key. Dean and Sam exchanged a confused glance.

The girl took two steps into the room, looked up at the gormless duo and flashed a sweet smile at them. She had spotted the guns, Sam and Dean hadn't tried hard to conceal them when she came round the corner.

"Hey, Bobby. Got some supplies from the store. They ran out of low fat mayonnaise so I got the regular instead. I didn't think you'd mind."

In one fluid motion, she stepped into the kitchen, dropped the keys on the counter and placed the shopping next to it. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean had turned to face Bobby with a look of bewilderment.

"Bobby," Dean started off slowly, hoping he could keep a hold on the rainbow of emotions crawling around inside him, "Where did you get a 16 year old girl? And please don't tell me you're 'helping out a friend'"

Bobby frowned at Dean. "Her name is Stephanie,"

"STEPH!" She cried from the kitchen.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Fine, Steph it is. She's just visiting for a few days, she doesn't have anywhere else to go." Bobby turned around to gaze at the books behind him, hoping they would leave it there. They didn't.

"How do you know her?" Sam made an effort to keep his voice down.

Bobby sighed and Dean noticed his shoulders sag slightly. As he turned around, Dean could see dark circles under his eyes. Not unusual for Bobby but something else was. He just couldn't put two and two together.

"You really want to know?" Bobby took the silence as a sarcastic yes from Dean and a 'Will you hurry up' from Sam. "Her mother is Cassandra Parker. Her father…"

"Spit it out Bobby!" Sam started to get indignant. Dean however, had already got the hint. He turned to watch Steph move around the kitchen.

"Her father was John Winchester. Your father."

Sam couldn't believe it. Dean just closed his eyes and nodded.

"She's your half-sister."


	2. Welcome to the family!

**A/N Hey again. Thank you so _so _much for all the reviews and follows! I love getting feedback on my work. So thank you! **

I'm not too sure about how I like this chapter but I needed some of this to progress the story. Sorry if it bores you (I don't like this chapter but tell me what you think please), I had to explain what Stephanie actually looked like.

Okay, so this is from Dean's POV and you'll see why. I know it might seem a bit rushed in to but oh well! It's all for good reason! You'll see. Anyway! On with the story…

Chapter 2 – Welcome to the family!

"Ha- Half-sister?" Sam choked. Bobby sighed and collapsed back into his chair. Dean, meanwhile, had decided to get a better look at his new sister.

Steph was milling around Bobby's kitchen humming along to some modern country song. Dean recognised the tune but couldn't put a name to it. She had an almost child-like manner, mixed with the typical teenage slump. But there was something else. Something Dean knew all too well. A sense of heavy responsibility. An invisible weight carried on her shoulders. She was young, but not as young as he was when he carried that weight.

Dean watched Steph putting the shopping away for a minute or two.

From the back, Steph looked like a typical teenager. Low cut shirt and ripped jeans with denim jacket to match, long-ish wavy brown hair. Not too tall but not short either. Slim figure but that didn't have Dean fooled.

Steph stood back from the counter, a tin of chicken soup in her left hand, right hand on her hip. Dean stepped in.

"Let me." He gently teased the tin away from her hands. Steph jumped a little in surprise.

"Oh God! I didn't realise you were there!" She looked around, unsettled as Dean put the soup into an empty bottom cupboard, "How long were you-"

"Watching? Long enough." Dean stood up straight and folded his arms. Steph stared straight back at him defiantly. Dean let out a small laugh.

"I'm Dean by the way." Dean stuck out his hand for her to shake. Steph carried on staring at him. She was trying to figure him out. There was an uncomfortable pause before Dean brought his hand away and tucked it back into his pocket.

"I know who you are." Steph smiled weakly. Her façade was broken. She wasn't nearly as strong as she thought she was.

"You do?" Dean didn't return the smile.

"Yeah. John talked about you and Sam a lot. Apparently. I never met him." Steph glanced away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. That was when Dean noticed her face. Her eyes were a thick, chocolate brown, just like their father's. Her face was shaped like his too but she seemed more vulnerable. She had bags under her eyes, from lack of good sleep and her eyes were filled with defiance. At what, Dean couldn't guess.

"He was a good guy. Lots like you. You know, feature's wise." Dean gestured at her face as he spoke. Steph raised an eyebrow at him.

"From what I heard, he was a real douchebag." Steph croaked. Dean laughed. Not a small laugh. A large throaty, meaningful laugh. Steph stared at him like he was a madman.

"Yeah he was. But aren't all Dad's?" Dean flinched. Steph didn't react simply smiled again, this time deeper. When she didn't reply, Dean decided to take the conversation on a different route.

"So, what brings you to Bobby's?"

"Just can't refuse the luxury of running water and clean sheets." Steph smirked and Dean grinned back at her.

"A little young to be hunting aren't you?" Dean tried to hide the protecting tone of his voice but Steph saw straight through it. She simply shook her head.

"A little. But you were younger." He couldn't deny that. "Anyway, it's not like I have anywhere else to go." Steph's seemingly permanent smile waned slightly. Dean frowned. He had known her for less than 20 minutes nut already he knew that she was his responsibility now.

"You don't have any family?"

Steph scoffed. "None that'll take me anymore." When Dean didn't reply, she took it as her queue to carry on. "My mum kicked me out a year ago. We had a fight. A big one. I said that if John was such an amazing guy, why couldn't you hold on to him longer." Steph glanced wearily at Dean. She may have been living on the streets for a year but she knew a thing or two about manners. Dean nodded so she carried on.

"Usually when I bring that up, she'll calm down. Say something about how being a parent is a big responsibility. Something that everyone should cherish. That John left because he had his boys to look after and that was more important." Steph choked. Dean took a step forward and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. "Instead, she flipped. Miss Cassandra Parker, mum of the century, told me that if she came home from work and I was still there, she'd call the police. That I was no longer allowed to step foot in HER home." Steph paused and Dean didn't push her any further.

"You like pizza?" He asked simply. Steph looked up at him with those same puppy dog eyes as Sam. Dean's heart broke.

"God help the guy that tries to break her heart!" Bobby chuckled from the sidelines. Sam and Bobby hadn't been watching for long, just long enough to know that Dean had his Big-brother-mode switched on to full with Steph.

Sam simply grinned.

"I love pizza. Why?" Steph raised an eyebrow at Dean. He only grinned wider.

"Because as of now, Little Miss Stephanie, you are officially a Winchester." Before Steph could react, Sam pulled her into a giant bear hug from behind.

"Welcome to the family!"


	3. the Scare, the knife and an old friend

**A/N Woah, it's been a while, sorry. I've had a difficult week for family reasons so this story kinda got pushed out of my mind. **

**But, nevermind! It's here now :D Please tell me what you think. **

**Thank you SO much for all of the reviews and follows etc. There aren't tons of you but I owe each one a huge hug :D So here: ** **Thanks to Akuma-May, Sweetkiwi604, Bubbleflowergirl, caroline-reid and jennylynn2012! I love all of the support, it keeps me writing. Please tell me if I've missed anyone, I'll try and add you on :D**

**Please R&R!**

Chapter 3 – The scare, the knife and an old friend

It had been 2 weeks since the Winchester brothers had found out about their little sister and a familiar routine had started to develop. Sam and Dean would carry on searching for Cas, Bobby would provide them with information and backup. They would be gone for two or three days at a time and when they returned to Bobby's, Steph always had a homemade meal waiting for them. It was unusual, yes, but Sam and Dean appreciated being the ones taken care of for once.

Dean and Sam had just returned from a nearby vampire hunt, when they noticed something had changed. There was no sweet aroma of pasta coming from the kitchen. There wasn't the annoying buzz of the local radio playing from the library. In fact, there wasn't any sign of Bobby at all. The whole house was eerily quiet.

"Bobby?" Dean drew his gun and stepped nervously into the hallway. "Steph?"

Dean threw Sam a look and indicated that he was heading upstairs. He took a hesitant step onto the first stair. It creaked loudly. They both flinched.

Just then, Sam saw a flicker of light at the top of the stairs and light footsteps echoed softly across the floorboards. Both men tensed and continued up the stairs.

"Oh hey guys!" Dean and Sam jumped out of their skin.

At the top of the stairs, Steph was leaning over the banister, holding a mp3 player and laughing at her brother's faces.

"Oh God! You guys! Aha! I've never seen anyone jump so high! Especially not hunters! BAHAHA!" Steph continued laughing so hard, that tears began to cloud her vision. Dean noticed and grabbed this opportunity to sneak up behind her. Sam stayed where he was, a large grin filling his face. Steph _did _have an infectious laugh.

When Steph opened her eyes and blinked away the tears, only Sam remained on the stairs. Dean was nowhere to be seen. Steph frowned.

"BOO!"

Steph screamed.

This time, it was Sam and Dean who were laughing the hardest. Steph turned slowly and maliciously to face Dean. He caught a glimpse of her glare and his smile quickly vanished.

"Uh oh…"

Before Sam could react, Dean was on his back, an obviously pissed off Steph on top of him, holding a knife to his throat.

"Never EVER. Scare. Me. Got it?" Steph breathed menacingly. Dean let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Steph's grimace evaporated and was replaced with a cheeky smile.

"Good. Who wants take-out?" Steph laughed as she withdrew her grasp on her big brother and stood up.

"Steph, where did you get that knife?" Sam spoke hesitantly towards her. It had been 2 weeks but Sam hadn't really taken to her with the same enthusiasm as Dean. In fact, he thought she was kind of crazy for a 16-year-old.

Steph regarded the camo-printed knife in her hand with a shrug. "Bobby gave it to me. He said it might come in handy. I guess he was right." She flashed a wicked smile at Dean.

Dean raised himself off the ground slowly. A crow squawked in the trees nearby as Dean realised Sam hadn't moved an inch.

"What not in enough danger for you?" Dean scowled at his brother.

Sam was taken aback.

"Come on, Dean. It was only Steph. How was I supposed to know she had a knife?"

"She's a fucking Winchester, Sam! She's gonna be packing something!"

"Actually, I'm a Parker." Steph tried to interject. They weren't listening.

"So what Dean! She's only 16! She shouldn't even know about hunters. She should be in school not looking after us!" The argument started to reach a supersonic level.

Steph rolled her eyes and put her earphones back in. It still didn't block them out. She turned the volume up on Kid Rock's All Summer Long until the tune was all she could hear.

"Oh trust you Sam. Always on about school." Dean started to lower his voice. All this over a little scrap?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean turned his back on Sam and reached for his gun that had fallen out when he had been knocked to the floor.

"Nothing Sammy."

"Don't 'Sammy' me." Sam lowered his voice to match Dean's. "You think that I want to go back to school? Is that it?"

"I don't know Sam. You tell me." Dean spun to face his younger, yet taller, brother, looking genuinely pissed off.

"No. I don't. I had thought about it, but all this stuff with Cas?" Sam didn't need to finish. They may have been as different as water and fire but they understood each other like twins. Something Steph envied as she watched them interact like mimes.

Dean turned to face her now. "Now then, missy." Dean let the sentence trail off slightly.

Steph gulped. She hurriedly indicated to her earphones.

"Can't hear me huh?" Dean scowled. Sam and Dean exchanged glances.

"Teenagers these days. Always being anti-social…" Sam threw a metaphorical rope at her.

"Actually, I prefer the term 'socially awkward'" Steph interjected again. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

Dean and Sam both laughed. "Hook, line and sinker."

Steph rolled her eyes and removed her earphones.

"Umm, Steph?" Dean looked around, realising the missing piece to their puzzle. "Where's Bobby?"

"He left." Steph shrugged, still wearing her usual happy-go-lucky grin. "Got a call about two hours ago on a job. Sounded like an old friend or something. He didn't tell me much, just left a note on his desk for you guys."

"You didn't read it?" Sam queried.

"Why would I do that? I'm not you." Steph joked and Sam just rolled his eyes. Dean grinned. At least someone thought it was funny.

"Let's just go and check it out." Sam sighed and slapped Dean on the arm.

Dean followed reluctantly and Steph gave them a semi-awkward salute as they left.

"Who do you think it was?" Sam asked as they turned the corner into the library.

Dean started.

In the middle of the library, a lone figure stood with his head bowed gracefully. He was clad in a long dusty trenchcoat.

Dean turned and looked at Sam bitterly.

"I think I've got a pretty good idea."

**Please R&R!**


	4. Lies and Betrayal

**A/N It's been a long time since I updated; I apologise. Stuff just kind of caught up with me and I have exams and stuff… Anyways! Here is chapter 4. Enjoy!**

**PS: Cas is back baby! To say I'm excited would be a sever understatement. I love writing lines for this character! :D **

Chapter 4 – Lies and Betrayal

The trench coated man slowly turned around to face them, acknowledging their presence with a faint nod. Sam gulped and took a steady step forwards. Dean remained as stiff as a board.

"Cas what are you doing here?" Sam spoke hesitantly. Dean watched on in silence.

"Cas gracefully turned his head away, mostly in shame, "I betrayed you both. Dean," Dean merely raised an eyebrow at him, "I truly am sorry for the pain I may have caused you."

Sam peered back at his older brother, expecting some kind of reaction from him. But Dean didn't react. His face remained calm and neutral, as if he was putting up a proverbial brick wall to stop himself letting Cas back in. Sam guessed that it was one of the hardest things he had to do. Dean was strong willed, yes, but when anyone he cared about got hurt – psychologically or physically – Dean put it upon himself to be the rock.

Dean gazed back at Cas, a few moments of silence passing by. Dean's arms were folded against his chest, a sign of his frustration. His eyes never faltered from Castiel's. The bubble of silence was broken when Dean started approaching Castiel, still holding a neutral expression.

"Why are you here? To apologise?" Cas opened his mouth to reply but Dean cut him off, "Because I've had just about enough of your bullshit to last a lifetime," Dean remarked wryly. Remarkably, Dean's voice and expression didn't falter. He simply sighed.

Cas looked visibly pained by Dean's nonchalant expression. Still, he replied with a simple, "I did it for you."

"There you go again, spreading your bullshit around," Dean shook his head.

By this point, Dean and Cas were inches away. Sam drifted back, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I'll ask you again. Why are you here?" Cas turned his head away again and didn't reply.

"Is it Bobby?" Cas glanced back, slightly confused – if confused was even possible for angels, "Because Steph said that Bobby went to visit an old friend. Was it you?"

"Impossible. If he was visiting me, I would be with him now, yes?" Cas countered in his uniquely polite manner. No one responded. A stubborn silence followed.

"Stephanie Parker," Cas pondered the name. Sam and Dean both stiffened, "You mentioned a 'Steph'. I assumed that was the one you were referring to."

Dean considered the angel for a moment.

"Do you know her?" He replied after an awkward silence.

"No," Cas bit bluntly, "I simply know of her. I know that she is your half-sister. You share a father. I know that she left home after an argument with her mother. I know that she has brown hair and eyes and she is the almost equal image of your father. I know that whenever you look into her eyes, Dean, it reminds you of the look you used to give your father. A look of admiration mixed with innocence and child torment," As Cas spoke, Dean slowly stepped away from him, still nervous about the whole situation. Sam was past that. He was just puzzled. How did he know so much about Steph? "I also know, that Steph hasn't told you the whole truth about her hunting days. Or methods."

Sam and Dean exchanged a curious look. Had Steph lied to them? Was there more to the story? Now that they thought about it, there were things that didn't add up. Like how she had lived on her own for a year. How she had completed hunts, alone, at an early age. She even said that Bobby gave her a knife 'in case it came in handy'. Surely a hunter would have a knife for hunts anyway? It was true that she was comfortable around guns, but guns filled with rock salt don't kill all monsters. But how could such a seemingly happy 16-year-old, kill a bunch of monsters 'on her own' with, from what Dean could gather, little experience? There were other hunters out there but, admittedly, very few would take on a young teenager as an assistant. Sam didn't like it. Something felt wrong in his gut and he hated it when Cas was right. Something didn't add up.

"So, if you're right – which I'm not saying you are – Steph has been lying to us?" Sam asked.

Cas thought the question over for a second, "Most definitely."

Dean and Sam looked at each other with annoyance. Before Sam could react, Dean was out of the room and storming up the stairs. His footsteps were heavy with frustration. Cas and Sam followed with a somewhat varying degree of urgency. Dean had been betrayed by yet another person he had let in, and Sam didn't know how much this would send him over the edge. Or whether he would be able to get him back.

Dean barged open the door to Steph's makeshift room without a second thought. He was being irrational; his brain knew that. His heart had other ideas.

Inside, Steph was laid out like a starfish on the bed, a half-open book on her chest and her mp3 (blasting You're the Voice) in one hand. When Dean broke in she sat up like a rocket.

"Hey! Can't you knock?" She caught sight of the look on her face and visibly tightened, "Dean calm down," She tried soothing tones but it didn't work. He just kept coming.

When he reached her – Steph hadn't bothered running, he would have just caught her anyway – he pushed his own knife to her throat and slammed her into the wall. He then started barking questions at her.

"Did you lie to us, Steph?" Dean screamed at her, "What really happened a year ago? How in God's name did you go hunting with no training and no help? Well?" Steph didn't reply. She could tell that Dean wasn't in his right mind; it was something in his eyes. As Dean pressed the knife harder on her throat, Sam burst into the room, shouting Dean's name.

"Dean! Stop!" Sam started dragging Dean back, trying to get him off of her.

"Why would you do this Steph?" Dean relented and allowed Sam to pull him off of their sister, "Why did you betray us?" Dean's voice cracked.

Sam looked at him, surprised. Betray? Without thinking, Sam slipped the knife out of Dean's hand and put it in his own pocket for safekeeping. Sam realised instantly what had happened. Dean had cracked. His ever-present façade had crumbled and the pieces were scattered over the floor. Dean's face crumpled and the tears that had started out as a trickle erupted and flooded down his face. His entire body started to uncontrollably shake from the sobbing. Sam caught him before he collapsed on the floor. Sam wasn't strong enough to hold his dead weight though so Dean dropped onto the hardwood.

Cas stood silently, probably not grasping all of the human emotions flowing around the room.

Steph watched on, a lone tear escaping down her face. She knew it was her fault. Dean had been destroyed by the lies that she had created. She wished she could tell them the truth. But honestly, she did it to protect them. Steph realised how cliché that sounded in her head. She needed to think of a way to tell them the truth, but not reveal too much to them. Steph batted away the stray tear with her hand. She gave herself a quick once-over to make sure everything was okay and slowly regained control of her heart rate. Her brain suddenly went into overdrive, erasing all emotions from her head and replacing them with an elaborately thought out plan. A movement to the side of her, caught her eye and she turned her head quickly to face it.

The strange trench coated man was poking around at her nightstand. Caught up in the moment, Steph reached out and slapped his hand as he reached for her Star Trek alarm clock.

"Hey! No touchy! Got it?" The man recoiled sharply and stared at her blankly. Steph met his eyes and gasped.

Sam shot his head up immediately. Steph met his eye and simply smiled weakly. He got up from his perch next to Dean and took a seat on the bed beside Steph.

"I'm sorry Sam," Steph started. Sam shook his head.

"Don't be. It's fine. We'll get through this together. Just like Winchester's do. Strong, with a chip on our shoulder and a grim smile on our faces," Sam smiled back at Steph and winked. A tiny detail but the biggest push Steph had had all day. Steph took in a deep breath.

"That's just what I've been trying to tell you. My name isn't Winchester," Steph sighed deeply, "I'm a Parker."

Sam glared at her. He was not going prepared for this now. He had just lost his brother to an emotional breakdown. He was not going to lose his baby sister – no matter how much he mistrusted her – all because she felt guilty.

"The Parker's kicked you out, remember? The Winchester's were the ones who accepted you," Sam punched Steph lightly in the arm. Grinning, she rubbed her arm in mock pain.

They both laughed gently and glanced at the trench coated man. Steph acknowledged him wearily.

"Oh yeah!" Sam remembered, "Steph, meet Castiel. He's an angel." Sam braced himself for Steph's outburst of surprise. Nothing came out. He gave her a sideways look.

Steph nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, okay. Nice to meet you Castiel."

Cas nodded at her and turned back to Dean, "I could help him you know."

"No," Sam didn't give it a second thought. When he turned to look at Cas, the angel was gone. Sam rolled his eyes. Steph just stared wide-eyed at the space Cas used to be in. Despite her shock, nothing came out of her mouth. She was eerily quiet. Sam nodded at her and they both braced themselves. They both knew what was coming. 'The Talk'.

**A/N So, there you go! I realise that Steph may seem a bit horrible, but I assure you, she has good intentions! Oh and I'm going on the premise that Steph and Sam aren't each other's favourites but they're still brother and sister so they have to get along in some way! **

**Please R&R! :D**


	5. The Talk

**A/N Hey guys! Exams are over now so here's the next chapter! Any mistakes are entirely the fandom's fault! (only because I wrote this while watching Supernatural, arguing about Sherlock feels and scrolling through endless Hiddleston pictures).**

**Anyway, Enjoy! **

Chapter 5 - The Talk

Steph watched in mournful silence as Sam locked and barricaded Dean's door. They didn't speak to each other but both knew he needed time alone. Dean was reluctant but didn't fight. There was no regular spark in his eyes. It was almost like his soul had been ripped out and replaced with a hollow shell. When they had left him, Dean was unconscious in the corner of the room.

The atmosphere between Steph and Sam was earth-shatteringly tense. Admittedly, they had only known each other for a short time but there used to be a mutual feeling of friendship. Steph was not as close to Sam as she was with Dean; Her and Dean had just seemed to click right from the start. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sam didn't trust Steph. However, Steph had learned to look past this; they were hunters after all and it wasn't exactly easy for hunters to trust strangers. Steph wasn't a stranger though. She was family; as tough as it was, Sam had learned to accept that. She had been a 16-year-old in need and Sam wasn't going to be the one to deny the poor - quite literally - girl a family.

Not that either would admit it, but they had grown to slightly like each other. Sam had admired that she had kept herself safe on the streets alone for this whole time. He knew she was an intelligent, funny and lovely girl - and that she was a great cook. But after what had happened today, Sam couldn't shake Castiel's words out of his head. He had this awful gut feeling that Steph had been lying to them this entire time. About what, he had no idea. Sam just hoped that it didn't result in someone else betraying him and his brother, much like Cass had done not so long ago. He pondered over Cass' words repeatedly in his head as he moved the last bookcase in the way of the door.

As Sam finished, he faced Steph and sighed. The motion was full of raw emotion and fatigue, both physical and mental. Without uttering a word, they both turned and headed down the stairs.

Steph entered the kitchen and tentatively grabbed a can of coke off of the table. Sam's feet clumped loudly behind her as he walked into the kitchen. The silence stretched out for minutes, choking Steph like an angry python wrapping its lethal body around her neck. Soon it became too much and Steph was forced to break the awkward bubble of silence, hovering between them.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"How about you start at the part where you've been lying to us for weeks now?" Sam didn't disguise the bitterness in his voice. Steph recoiled slightly.

"It's a little bit more complicated than that." Sam broke off his stare and nodded towards the sofa.

"Am I gonna need to sit down?"

Steph nodded, "This will probably take a while."

Sam glanced at her as they huffed down onto the sofa. "Trust me, I have no where else to be."

Steph still detected some resentment in his voice, so began hesitantly.

"Okay, well I haven't exactly been lying to you." Sam raised his eyebrows but remained quiet. "I am your half-sister, and my mom and I did have an argument right before I left. But that isn't why I left."

"You wanted to hunt?" Sam filled in the blanks, "Why?"

"Believe it or not, but I wanted to somehow feel closer to my Dad. Our Dad. Anyway, it was a stupid idea. I had no money, no connections, no clue at all of where to start. I couldn't go back to my mom. I knew she'd just kick me out and disown me or something... So all I had was a name and two numbers. Something my mom gave me as a parting gift. Bobby's."

Sam was listening intently now. He knew she was a great liar and was looking for any loop holes in her story that he could rip apart and finally uncover the truth.

"I called Bobby. Told him... A version of the truth. He accepted it eventually. Reluctant at the beginning though, just like you. One year later, he's the only father figure I've ever had."

Sam chuckled, "Yeah, he has that kind of effect on you."

Steph stared Sam down.

"You still don't believe me." It wasn't a question. Steph was just about fed up of playing nice with Sam.

"No. I don't. I just have a few questions."

Steph didn't reply. Sam took this as permission to carry on.

"You grew up in Texas, yeah?"

"Beeville."

"How did you get from there to here?"

Steph was slightly taken aback. These were not the questions she was expecting.

"Hitchhiked mostly. I did have some money. I could just about afford to get a bus from the state line." Sam nodded slowly.

"What was the argument really about?" Steph felt herself visibly twitch.

"Look, you know as well as I do, that if you hadn't lied, my brother would not be an emotional wreck right now!" Sam felt his voice rise and fought to keep it down. Steph didn't miss the fact that Sam had said 'my brother'.

"I know. But I..." Steph trailed off, tears catching in her throat, "I never lied about the argument."

Sam believed her, "You argued about our father?"

"Yes." Steph choked out, fighting back the tears that would inevitably be coming any second. She hated that she was the reason for Dean's breakdown. Sam rose and left the room.

"Why do I still feel like you're hiding something from me?" Neither spoke again for a few hours.

* * *

Steph woke drearily from her slumber. Looking around, she realised she had fallen asleep on the sofa. It was dark outside; she guessed perhaps midnight from the shadows created by the moonlight.

Fully aware that both brothers were asleep, Steph made her way into the kitchen. She was still feeling groggy and wasn't really up for making any dinner. But a girl gotta eat right? She thought to herself.

Standing back from the cupboards, she settled herself into a comfortable stance. Steph closed her eyes and allowed her body to fill with a glowing and radiant power. Steph lifted her arms slowly and began to chant inside her head.

As she did so, the magic swirling inside her began to move and billow as if controlled by wind, powered by her chanting. The more she chanted, the more she let her guard down.

All at once, the swirling and billowing of blue vibrant energy began to move throughout the room. Steph's eyes opened and glowed the same radiant blue. Cupboards opened and closed as pots and ingredients flew around the kitchen, creating a mass hysteria of activity. One by one, various parts came together, colliding into pots, switching on the heat and began to cook Steph some pasta, complete with little cut up sausages.

Behind it all, Steph grinned. She loved not having to lift a finger to make an entire meal. It was only as the hive of commotion finished that Steph realised she wasn't alone. Steph froze. Like a switch inside her head had gone off, her eyes returned to normal and the glow that once encompassed her body, faded away.

Steph took a second to gather her thoughts and turned to face the watcher.

In the doorway, Sam stood, all 6 foot 4 inches of him, with an empty glass in one hand. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair was floppy from the sleep. His mouth was hung open and his eyes were wide with shock.

"Hey Sam!" Steph announced nervously.

THUMP. Sam had collapsed on the floor.

"Oh great."

**A/N HA! You thought I'd give it all away didn't you? No. I'm mean that way :) Please R&R! Reviews are like chocolate! I love it! **


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